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Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in "a yen for a beach vacation"), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.
Examples of yen in a Sentence
Noun (2)
I have a strange yen to take the day off from work
Verb
what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Yet Yoshii, though now hundreds of thousands of yen richer, barely cracks a smile.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2025
As a result, the exchange rate in places that use the euro, against which the dollar fell 13 percent over the time period, or the Japanese yen, against which the dollar dropped 6 percent, does not favor American spenders, The Wall Street Journal reported.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 July 2025
Those on board were offered 15,000 yen ($93) in transportation compensation and provided one night of accommodation, AP reported, citing passengers.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
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Noun
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle reportedly made 1.7 billion yen in its first day of release, passing up Mugen Train’s 1.2 billion yen record at the Japanese box office before this.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Yet Yoshii, though now hundreds of thousands of yen richer, barely cracks a smile.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2025
As a result, the exchange rate in places that use the euro, against which the dollar fell 13 percent over the time period, or the Japanese yen, against which the dollar dropped 6 percent, does not favor American spenders, The Wall Street Journal reported.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 July 2025
Those on board were offered 15,000 yen ($93) in transportation compensation and provided one night of accommodation, AP reported, citing passengers.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for yen
Cite this Entry
“Yen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yen. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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